Workington’s Kevin Basnett has successfully defended the Cumbria County Snooker Singles Championship this week, becoming a five time champion in the process.
The championship culminated in an enthralling 4-2 final win over Carlisle’s Mike Griffiths.
Basnett, the 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2023 champion played solidly throughout the day as he triumphed in the Peter Tyson Audio and Visual sponsored event held at Carlisle’s Qzone.
The final ebbed and flowed but with Basnett perfectly demonstrating his ability to win frames when behind, the Workington cueist entered third place alongside Whitehaven’s Rob Sim on the all time county singles champions list.
They are just one behind Carlisle’s Mike Nixon (6) and Penrith’s John Airey (6) in a competition that goes back to 1956.
The final started cautiously but an early burst from Basnett gave the defending champion a satisfying lead. Back came Griffiths nevertheless and with just the green remaining the Carlisle cueist led by 24 points.
A pot to win the frame looked likely to be deposited but as Griffiths missed Basnett cleared from a tricky leave to win the frame 60-59 for a 1-0 lead.
Frame two saw Griffiths put his early disappointment out of his mind quickly and with breaks of 32 and 40 the former County Doubles champion held a significant advantage.
Even though Basnett managed to get some points on the board it wasn’t enough to trouble Griffiths’ lead with the Carlisle player eventually delivering match parity on the back of a 84-33 victory.
In the next Griffiths continued in the fine form he displayed in frame two with two contributions in the 20’s to take a healthy lead.
Basnett reduced the deficit with a small offering of his own but as the last four balls remained Griffiths was still in control.
Looking to capitalise on his momentum Griffiths attempted what essentially looked like frame ball but in leaving it for Basnett the reigning champion repeated his first frame heroics to clear for a 58-47 frame win for an important 2-1 match lead.
Thoughts of what could have been may have still been with Griffiths in frame three as he didn’t reach the baulk line with an early safety. As the balls sat far and wide Basnett cooly slotted home a long red and in constructing a break of 66 the Workington cueist romped to 115-5 frame victory.
At 3-1 to Basnett the next frame took a disjointed path as both players failed to string anything significant together. The frame progressed to the last two balls and in needing both to force a re-spotted black Basnett duly obliged to tie the scores at 56 each.
After a couple of safety shots each Griffiths attempted a double across the table into the corner pocket but in seeing it miss the black carried enough pace to go back along the top cushion to fortunately fall into the opposite corner for a 63-56 win and reduce the deficit to 3-2 in the process.
In what turned out to be the last frame of the match Basnett showed no signs of the last frame affecting his belief as he moved into an early lead.
Griffiths tried hard to drag himself back into the frame but with some excellent safety Basnett kept the Carlisle potter out. As each ball was deposited Basnett’s lead was getting bigger to the point where Griffiths needed multiple snookers with just the brown remaining.
A number of valiant snooker attempts emerged before Griffiths eventually offered his hand to the 2023 champion as Basnett retained his title with a 67-25 frame and match victory.
In the first of the semi finals Basnett cut through some fine tactical play from Carlisle’s Paul Wright and with breaks of 62 and 58 the Workington sharp-shooter went through to the final without dropping a frame in his third 4-0 victory of the day.
The second of the two semi finals matched up Griffiths against 2019 finalist Mally Lancaster.
The all-Carlisle clash saw Lancaster falling short of the form his showed in the earlier rounds and in missing little Griffiths advanced to his first final with a quick fire 4-0 victory.
The highest break of the day went to Carlisle’s Paul Wright with a brilliant contribution of 83 in his first round 4-0 win over Workington’s Andrew Carter but the match of early rounds definitely went to Carlisle’s Mally Lancaster as with breaks of 53, 55, 63 and 76 he defeated the 2018 champion, in Carlisle’s Gary Carruthers, in magnificent style.
A plate competition also took place for all players who exited the main event in their first match with former county doubles champion, Workington’s Peter O’Hagan, winning with a 3-0 final victory over fellow west Cumbrian Stephen Jackson.
Thanks to Peter Tyson Audio and Visual for sponsoring the event and to Martyn Gowing of the QZone, Carlisle for providing support to the event and ensuring the tables were of the highest standard possible.
Results
Prelim
R Ismay (Maryport) 4-3 P O’Hagan (Workington)
M Griffiths (Carlisle) 4-0 (62 break) I Pattinson (Carlisle)
G Carruthers (Carlisle) 4-0 M Thompson (Whitehaven)
A Bell (Carlisle) 4-2 S Jackson (Workington)
D Milton (Workington) 4-1 R Woods (Carlisle)
Last 16
P Ismay 4-0 A Mitchelhill (Cockermouth)
M Griffiths (57 break) 4-0 R Ridding (Carlisle)
M Lancaster (53, 55, 63 & 76 breaks) 4-2 G Carruthers
S Cakmak (Maryport) 4-1 M Wareing (Carlisle)
A Bell 4-1 M Tatton (Workington)
P Wright (Carlisle) (83 break) 4-0 A Carter (Workington)
D Milton 4-0 M Tunstall (Workington)
K Basnett 4-0 A Long (Carlisle)
Quarter finals
M Griffiths 4-0 R Ismay
M Lancaster (50 break) 4-0 S Cakmak
P Wright 4-1 A Bell
K Basnett (72 & 57 breaks) 4-0 D Milton
Semi finals
M Griffiths 4-0 M Lancaster
K Basnett (58 & 62 breaks) 4-0 P Wright
Final
K Basnett 4-2 M Griffiths
Frame scores:
60-59, 33-84, 58-47, 115(66 break)-5, 56-63 & 67-25
Plate final
P O’Hagan 3-0 S Jacksonî„•Replyî„—Reply allForward
Attendee panel closed
